Breathtaking Cambodia: Phnom Penh-Angkor River Link

This was a great way to really see Cambodia. I travelled 4.5 hours in a car from Siem Reap and the next 4.5 hours on a river cruise down the Mekong into Phnom Penh . It was relaxing, food was delicious on board and we had a chance to look at a silver smith and then a Buddhist monastery and temple on the way. Highly recommend as a way to get between these two cities. Samath was a wonderful host and guide. Thank you for a wonderful day exploring your country.

4.5 hr van ride from SR to boat. 4.5 hour ride on boat to Phnom Penh. Long day but wonderful opportunity to see the countryside, and boat was awesome. Stop at silversmiths shop at boat launch. Beautiful lunch served on the boat and Samath, our tour guide was very knowledgeable. He stopped the boat to tour Buddhist temple along the way, an opportunity to see a countryside temple.

We had a great trip, firstly by boat and then by car. All guides were excellent and we were picked up at our hotel and then dropped off at our hotel. Great lunch on the boat and enough rest stops in the car. Highly recommended

Tara Riverboat Cruises were a delight to deal with from start through finish. The company has been somewhat impacted by world events (covid, limited tourism etc) but it does not stop them going all out on the service front. Pre-tour, all my communication was done with Peter via email. The lad is a real gem, professional to a fault and clear with communication. He will keep you well informed of any and all information you require leading up to the event. I travelled one-way from PP to SR. I was picked up in a very lux tuk-tuk from my hotel doorstep exactly when described and shuttled through the city to meet my chariot for the day. On arrival I was introduced to the ABSOLUTE LEGEND that is Sameth, my guide for the day. Sameth assisted me on to the boat, showed me around, and told me a little of his personal history and how Cambodia is growing and changing through recent history. I was INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE to be the -only passenger- on board for the up-river leg of the trip. This means I had the run of the boat, many places to choose from to sit and take in the sights, and a few beers to salute the sun with. The team also served an exemplary lunch (I genuinely felt like a king whilst on board) which I hope wasn't just entirely over the top as they cooked for one. My trip took me up the Tonle Sap River, past a mixture of slum housing and new-built empire. Cruising the river is a great way to discover the contrasts of Cambodian life, and to learn more about how modernisation and political discourse have the power to change a country. I thoroughly appreciated Sameth's banter, honesty and openness on this trip, and will always be grateful for the luck of having him as a guide. The end of the river cruise is at Moni Sakor Pagoda and surrounding village, just south of a floating village that spans the width of the river (be prepared for photos - you'll disembark before you know it). The small village makes its trade on silver- and copper-smithing, where a lot of the work is done by hand. You will hear hammers and nails working throughout the streets on arrival, and will likely be taken through Srey Orun workshop. Be on notice; the jewelry is beautiful, and the price is for silver by the gram. The second leg of the journey is a 4hr+ (depending on pit stops) car ride to SR. My driver for the afternoon was Tinah (whom regrettably I've lost his WhatsApp number!!), a calm and chatty lad who has a lot of knowledge to share about the local area, industry, and people. Our ride was spent listening to and learning from one another, as well as listening to some absolutely classic Bob Marley and Creedence Clearwater Revival tracks. My kind of guy. As a treat, Tinah also stopped off at a few quick points of interest (including getting a roadside dessert of sticky rice cooked in a bamboo shaft, which I inhaled). The trip takes all day, and you will arrive exhausted to your next destination, but the whole experience is incredibly worthwhile. Do consider supporting this small company, as it's well worth the price for what you gain in knowledge and satisfaction. Thank you again for an incredible adventure.

To get onto the boat we had to walk across the mud and a narrow wobbly plank- not sure why they say this is ok for small kids! The first part of the cruise was ok, the staff were nice and there was music. The bbq was terrible though, just some fried chicken that’s it and they also ran out of beer halfway through (they’d only brought enough for one beer per person). Then there was a lightning storm and though that’s not the tour operators fault, it wasn’t safe to be on the water and I was actually scared for my life. We had to change docks to get off and went to a better dock with concrete after the wobbly plank (not sure why we didn’t go from that dock in the first place!). The boat itself also seemed pretty hazardous with steep metal stairs that were slippery when wet. We weren’t offered life jackets at any point either. Would say don’t bring kids on this cruise and don’t expect a meal!

Had a romantic cruise as there aren't many customers at this time so great for couples dinner. The BBQ was amazing! Grilled chicken and kebabs with green pepper and pineapple. Our guide, Samet, was awesome and so friendly. Great to learn about Phnom Penh from his perspective. Thank you so much Samet 😁

We were picked up from our hotel by Tuk Tuk and taken to the boat. There was only one other couple aboard. A lovely couple from Singapore. If it hadn't been for their company it would have been a fizzer. The BBQ was only some chicken wings, and some small chicken skewers that had pineapple in them - which I don't like so went without. Then there was some more pineapple and watermelon for dessert. Unfortunately I don't eat watermelon either. However, that was hardly enough food. The guy in charge was nice and friendly and chatted with us. He only offered beers or juice to drink and I don't drink them either. I had to ask if he had any thing else and so he brought me some white wine. It was pretty poor so I did not finish it. Eventually he brought out water for us. The trip itself was interesting, to see Phnom Penh from the junction of three rivers, with all the lights on the riverbank. We were dropped off opposite the Royal Palace and another Tuk Tuk took us back to our hotel. We were still hungry, and was not value for money.

Samat was an amazing host and gave us great insight to the Cambodian way of life. Not to mention the food was delicious. Good host, good company, good food!

The service , food, and drinks was all great. The weather was prefect and views of the casinos and shoreline was very interesting

good cruise, very friendly guide, had a good time, it was nice to see the mekong river flow. overall it as a fanatic sunset cruise with the family